, is the largest of its kind to date, with the daily activity of 226,889 people across the UK, US, Norway and Australia recorded. While more steps were associated with better health outcomes, just 3,967 a day reduced the risk of dying from any cause, prompting researchers to conclude that 'lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise, might be at least as, or even more, effective in reducing cardiovascular risk and prolonging lives' than medication. The 10,000-a-day figure has been etched into the public consciousness since 1964, when, in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics, it formed part of a marketing campaign for a new pedometer. Since then, the psychology of the ease of building steps into your life, the memorability of the figure, and the fact that almost anyone can do it, no matter their age or fitness, has made it a goal that millions aim for on a regular basis. 'It's a very good metric for people to hit, as it's highly measurable and achievable,' says personal trainer Matt Roberts – as well as providing bragging rights on days where you've exceeded the 10,000 mark. 'Everyone needs a target and the trick with step counting is that too much and it becomes unobtainable, too little and it elicits laziness.' Yet the EJPC paper found that even a little is beneficial; every extra 1,000 steps per day was linked to a 15 per cent reduction in death from any cause (with no upper limit beyond 20,000 steps daily defined), while 500 more each day cut the risk of heart disease by 7 per cent, regardless of gender, age and the climate participants lived in. 0908 How walking steps cuts the risk of early death In previous studies, walking has been shown to lower cancer a){kind=link}
A new study suggests that our daily target could be considerably lower than previously thought
For six decades, where step counts are concerned, 10,000 has been the magic number. But now a new paper says that, happily, even a quarter of that figure can suffice, with 2,337 daily steps enough to cut the risk of premature death. The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology (EJPC), is the largest of its kind to date, with the daily activity of 226,889 people across the UK, US, Norway and Australia recorded.
While more steps were associated with better health outcomes, just 3,967 a day reduced the risk of dying from any cause, prompting researchers to conclude that “lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise, might be at least as, or even more, effective in reducing cardiovascular risk and prolonging lives” than medication.
The 10,000-a-day figure has been etched into the public consciousness since 1964, when, in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics, it formed part of a marketing campaign for a new pedometer. Since then, the psychology of the ease of building steps into your life, the memorability of the figure, and the fact that almost anyone can do it, no matter their age or fitness, has made it a goal that millions aim for on a regular basis.
“It’s a very good metric for people to hit, as it’s highly measurable and achievable,” says personal trainer Matt Roberts – as well as providing bragging rights on days where you’ve exceeded the 10,000 mark. “Everyone needs a target and the trick with step counting is that too much and it becomes unobtainable, too little and it elicits laziness.”